SAN FRANCISCO REDWING 169 



AGELAIUS PHOENICEUS MAILLIARDORUM van Rossem 



San Francisco Redwing 

 HABITS 



This local race is evidently a bicolored redwinged blackbird, recently 

 separated from the more widely spread A. p. calif ornicus , the coastal 

 representative of that subspecies, once regarded as a species. 



In naming it, A. J. van Rossem (1926) describes it as "similar to 

 Agelaius phoeniceus calif ornicus, but bill smaller and less swollen at 

 base. Females with wing averaging slightly longer, coloration darker 

 and posterior underparts rarely streaked. Males with exposed 

 portions of middle wing coverts usually entirely black." He gives the 

 range as: "Central coast region of California from central Monterey 

 County north at least to Sherwood, Mendocino County; east to 

 include Suisun Bay and the western slopes of the inner coast ranges." 

 And he adds: Mailliardorum is the darkest of the races of Agelaius 

 phoeniceus found in the United States and probably represents in the 

 least diluted form the formerly widespread stock which has so plainly 

 left its mark throughout the west on the invading 'phoeniceus' strain. 

 Females of the streaked type occur rarely. In San Benito County 

 there is, as would be expected, a tendency toward streaking which 

 reflects the proximity of calif ornicus; and in Mendocino County, 

 where an approach to caurinus takes place, the same condition is 

 observed. These streaked females are darker than the corresponding 

 type of calif ornicus, and they are of course distinguishable by smaller 

 bill." 



This race apparently does not differ at all in its habits from the 

 closely related bicolored redwing, its nearest neighbor. 



DISTRIBUTION 



The San Francisco redwing is resident in central coastal California 

 (Sherwood, Lower Lake) south to Carmel River, Soledad, and 

 Paicines. 



